The first athlete to make the cut for this report is one I am all too familiar with. Ellinwood’s Maxwell finished her sophomore season with 91 aces in 100 sets played. Her percentage of serves in play was 97 percent. She is ranked No. 8 overall in the Kansas Class of 2028. She was a jack of all trades for the undefeated Eagles last season and dished out 605 assists on Ellinwood’s path to a state championship season.

The true Unicorn among this group is Ellinwood’s Maxwell. She recorded 281 digs, 243 kills, and 605 assists in her sophomore season. That triple threat of numbers reminds me of two great NBA triple-double machines, Russell Westbrook and Magic Johnson. She is ranked No. 8 overall by Prep Dig Kansas.

Ellinwood’s Maxwell has something in common with Litton. She is the daughter of a coach, and it shows in her technical skills and discipline. She is also a six-rotation athlete who shared setting responsibilities for the undefeated Class 2A State Champion Eagles. Her sophomore stat line included 650 assists, 281 digs, and 243 kills. She is currently the No. 1-ranked setter in the Kansas Class of 2028. Will she remain in that top spot, or did she drop out of it this month?

The movie marathon always starts with the same flick, 1988’s Die Hard, the G.O.A.T. of holiday movies. If anyone on the Prep Scene compares to the star of the show, John McLane, it’s Ellinwood’s Maxwell. While I can’t see the small-school prospect living in Los Angeles, or throwing someone off the Nakatomi Building, she is wily and crafty enough to play the hero cop role. Maxwell can set, hit, play solid defense, and walk through glass with bare feet. She helped lead the Eagles to an undefeated state championship season. Maxwell is ranked No. 7 overall in the Kansas Class of 2028. Yippee-ki-yay, Pep Dig Fans!

A prep team that finishes with an undefeated state champion season is bound to have a good server on it, and the Ellinwood Eagles had two. Maxwell finished with 91 aces in her sophomore season. Maxwell is a six-rotation athlete who was also featured this week for being among the state leaders in assists. The Ellinwood sophomore is ranked No. 7 overall in the Kansas Class of 2028.

Maxwell shared setting duties for the undefeated Class 2A State Champions. She was named to the KVA Class 2A All-State second team. She tallied 605 assists in 100 sets played. She is a six-rotation athlete who could honestly play any position on the court. In two seasons combined, she owns totals of 1,159 assists, 401 kills, and 478 digs. She has a high ceiling, a ton of volleyball ahead of her, and I don’t see how at least one of the Division II schools in Kansas grabs her, unless she goes off to play DI. She ranked No. 7 overall and is the top-ranked setter in the Kansas Class of 2028.

The third athlete to move into the Top 10 is Ellinwood’s Maxwell. She is a “do-it-all” prospect on the volleyball court. Like Litton, she is also the daughter of a coach and the sister of a college athlete. She is a six-rotation athlete sharing the setting duties for the Eagles. In 60 sets played, she has registered 385 assists, 163 digs, 138 kills, 27 aces, and 13 blocks. Her court maturity is far past her years of age. She is a disciplined player who has a calming effect on her teammates in long rallies and tough sets. She is now ranked No. 7 overall.

An early-season match, the caliber of Ellinwood versus Beloit is few and far between. This match will serve as a measuring stick for these two programs, and one of the teams will come away unsatisfied with the loss. Maxwell is ranked No. 16 overall in the Kansas Class of 2028. Both teams are loaded with talent, and I am sure they will put on a show worthy of a 344-mile round trip to see them meet. Unfortunately, one athlete I will miss seeing play is Beloit’s Brecken Boudreaux Brecken Boudreaux 5'9" | MB/RS Beloit | 2026 State KS . She suffered a lower-body injury on the first day of practice this season and is expected to be out for four weeks. Boudreaux is ranked No. 33 overall in the Kansas Class of 2026, and college coaches will not want to forget her name, even though she will have an injury-shortened senior season. The Tojans went 5-0 in the first tournament of the season and did not drop a set.

So the next four prospects could be the challenging ones to get to see play this fall, but are All-Star worthy athletes, and are on my short list of players to try to see play. Ellinwood’s Maxwell is ranked No. 16 overall in the Kansas Class of 2028. I saw Ellinwood play last year, but she was recovering from an injury at the time. She is a versatile athlete who has been well-coached. The Eagles will be looking to rebound from what felt like a disappointing season a year ago.

Maxwell is a talented setter that I have seen play for both her prep and club teams. She finished her freshman season with 554 assists as the Eagles’ primary setter. She also filled up her stat line with 197 digs and 158 kills. Maxwell is a six-rotation athlete who plays a disciplined game. She also played a key role on the Eagles’ basketball team, chipping in 7.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. Maxwell is ranked No. 12 overall in the Kansas Class of 2028.